The present invention relates to a sealing structure for a bearing assembly and more particularly to a sealing structure for a spherical bearing assembly which includes an inner and outer race with spherical bearing means disposed therebetween, the spherical bearing assembly being adaptable for mounting a rotatable shaft member.
Bearing sealing structure which includes overlapping, spaced seal support members with a compressible seal disposed therebetween is generally well-known in the bearing art, attention being directed to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,619,369, issued to A. H. Williams on Nov. 25, 1952; 3,897,120, issued to E. Riegler, et. al. on July 29, 1975; and 3,951,783, issued to T. E. Cochran on Apr. 20, 1976, all three of which patents teach such a general arrangement but in each of which at least a portion of the bearing sealing structure is fixed to the bearing housing and in which there is consequently limited, if any, accommodation for bearing linear or axial float, even though U.S. Pat. No. 2,619,369 does teach limited accommodations for angular misalignment. In this regard, attention is further directed to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,893,735, issued to A. Brenner on July 8, 1975, and 4,755,067, issued to S. Asberg on July 5, 1988, both of Which teach patented bearing sealing structures which allow for axial float of the bearing assembly with Pat. No. 3,893,735, also allowing for angular misalignment. However, the earlier Pat. No. 3,893,735 requires a special housing with varying adjusting spring seal contact pressure and both of these two patents provide limited misalignment accommodation. Finally, attention is directed to the later issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,537,519, issued to A. M. LaRou on Aug. 27, 1985 and 4,872,770, issued to T. W. Dickinson on Oct. 10, 1989, both of these patents teaching bearing seals which can accommodate for linear or axial misalignment but neither including the desirable feature of simultaneously accommodating for angular misalignment.
In accordance with the present invention, a unique and novel sealing structured arrangement for a bearing assembly is provided which accommodates readily and simultaneously for both axial or lineal misalignment and angular misalignment independent of the bearing housing. The unique bearing assembly sealing structure of the present invention is both straightforward and economical to manufacture and assemble, requiring a minimum of parts without requiring special housing structure and also being capable of ready use in industry standard straight-through bored or recessed housings. In addition, the present invention provides a bearing assembly sealing structure having misalignment capabilities larger than the conventionally allowed bearing assembly misalignment capabilities with concomitant constant sealing pressure during bearing assembly misalignment--in either or both axial and angular misalignment bearing assembly conditions. The novel sealing structure of the present invention further serves as a contaminant flinger, as well as a sealing structure, the sealing structure being readily fixed to the bearing assembly race rings independent of the bearing assembly housing and permitting constant sealing pressure without requiring adjustable springs in an attempt to maintain desired constant sealing pressures.
Various other features of the novel sealing structure of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein.